Is Graphic Design Really 'Paying the Bills'? Revealing Actual Income Levels

"Graphic design is easy to get a job!", "Being a designer makes thousands of dollars!", "Sitting around and drawing can pay you a lot!" If you have ever researched the design industry, you must have heard such attractive "rumors" at least once. But is the actual salary in the graphic design industry as "huge" as rumored? Is this a "promised land" for young creative people who are preparing to enter the profession?

In fact, a designer's income is not fixed at a general number. It depends on many factors. In this article, SaDesign will help you peel off each layer of information to clarify the real picture of the salary in the graphic design industry, thereby helping you have the right perspective and appropriate direction for your career path.

1. What is graphic design?
Graphic design is an art and technology field that involves the creation and arrangement of images, colors, text, and other elements to communicate a message or create an appealing visual product. People who work in this field, known as graphic designers, use various tools and methods to create graphic products, including:

Print graphic design: Includes the creation of posters, flyers, books, brochures, book covers, product packaging and other printed items.

Digital graphic design: Involves creating digital graphics and images for online, television, social media, and mobile applications.

Advertising graphic design: Focuses on creating brand advertising and marketing campaigns using graphics, images and messages.

3D Graphics and Animation Graphic Design: Use 3D graphics and animation techniques to create multimedia products, including animated films, video games, and motion pictures.

User Experience (UI/UX) Graphic Design: Focuses on designing user interfaces and user experiences to improve the interaction between users and online products or services.

Graphic design plays an important role in communication and marketing, helping to create products and services that are attractive and interesting to audiences or consumers. To be successful in this field, workers need to have knowledge of design principles, creativity, and the ability to use graphic design tools and software.

2. What Is The Real Graphic Design Salary?
The truth is, graphic design salaries aren’t always “huge” and vary greatly depending on many factors. However, it’s still a career with good earning potential, especially for those with good skills and experience.

Fresher/Junior graphic design salary: At this stage, you will focus on gaining experience and honing your skills. The salary usually ranges from 5-10 million VND, depending on your ability and portfolio.

Mid-level Graphic Designer Salary: After 2-5 years of experience, you will be assigned more complex projects and have more responsibility. Salary can increase from 10-20 million VND.

Senior graphic designer salary: With 5 years or more of experience, you will become an expert in a specific field (e.g. UI/UX design, logo design, etc.). The salary can reach from 20-35 million VND, or even higher.

Graphic design salary for management position (Team Lead/Manager): In this position, you will be responsible for managing a design team and ensuring the quality of work. Salary can be up to 35 million VND or more.

3. Factors Affecting Graphic Design Salary
The salary of graphic design industry is not a fixed number but is affected by many different factors. To better understand whether the salary of graphic design industry is really as “huge” as rumored, we need to consider the following key factors:

3.1. Work Experience
The impact of years of experience on salary: Of course, years of experience directly affects your salary. A fresh graduate with no practical experience often starts with a lower salary. After a period of working, accumulating experience and proving your ability, your salary will increase significantly. For example, a fresh graduate designer can receive a starting salary of 8-12 million VND, while a person with 3-5 years of experience can earn from 15-25 million VND, or even higher.

Experience over degrees: Degrees are a plus, but experience is the deciding factor. Employers are more interested in what you have done, the projects you have worked on, and the results you have achieved than just your degree. An impressive portfolio with real-world projects will help you stand out from candidates who only have fancy degrees. Focus on building experience through freelance projects, internships, or participating in design activities in school.

3.2. Professional Skills
Ability to use design software: Graphic design is a technical field, requiring you to be proficient in specialized software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Indesign, Figma, etc. The level of proficiency in these software will directly affect your ability to complete the job and therefore, your salary. For example, if you only know basic Photoshop, you will have a hard time competing with people who are proficient in Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects.

Creative thinking and problem solving skills: In addition to software skills, creative thinking and problem solving skills are extremely important. A good designer not only knows how to use tools but also has the ability to come up with unique, creative ideas that meet the requirements of the customer. The ability to analyze problems and find effective design solutions is also a key factor.

Communication and teamwork skills: In a professional working environment, communication and teamwork skills are indispensable. You need to be able to exchange ideas, listen to feedback, and coordinate with colleagues to complete projects effectively. The ability to present ideas clearly and convincingly is also very important, especially when you work directly with customers.

3.3. Specialization (Niche)
Advantages of specializing in a specific field: Instead of “juggling” all design fields, specializing in a specific field (e.g. logo design, web design, UI/UX design for mobile apps, etc.) will help you become an expert in that field. This brings many advantages, such as you will have deeper knowledge, more specialized skills, and the ability to solve more complex problems.

Higher salaries for deep expertise: Employers are often willing to pay more for candidates who have deep expertise in a particular field. For example, a UI/UX designer with experience designing apps for the financial sector may command a higher salary than a generalist graphic designer.

If you are looking to improve your expertise and want to learn from experienced teachers, taking online or offline courses is an ideal choice. These courses not only provide in-depth knowledge but also help you access practical lessons and valuable experiences from those who have gone before, thereby easily improving your qualifications and developing your skills effectively.

3.4. Company/Enterprise
Salaries vary by company type: Graphic design salaries vary greatly by company type. Large corporations and leading advertising agencies typically pay higher salaries than start-ups or smaller companies. This is because larger companies often have stronger financial resources and are willing to invest in talent.

Company benefits and welfare policies: In addition to the basic salary, the company's benefits and welfare policies are also an important factor to consider. Benefits such as health insurance, social insurance, bonuses, vacation days, advanced training opportunities, etc. can help you save costs and improve your quality of life.

3.5. Work Location
Salaries vary between major cities and other provinces: Graphic design salaries vary between major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces. Major cities often have higher salaries due to greater recruitment needs and higher living standards.

Cost of living affects salary: Cost of living is also a factor to consider when choosing a place to work. Although salaries in big cities may be higher, rent, food, and transportation are also more expensive. Therefore, you need to calculate carefully to ensure that your income is enough to cover your living expenses.

3.6. Personal Portfolio
The importance of portfolio in demonstrating ability: Portfolio is the “face” of a designer. It is where you display your best projects and demonstrate your actual ability to employers. An impressive portfolio will help you make a good impression and have more opportunities to get a better job.

3.7. How to build an impressive portfolio
Be selective about your projects: Include only the best projects in your portfolio that clearly demonstrate your skills and design style.

Professional presentation: Arrange projects in a logical, easy-to-read manner, with clear annotations of the project's goals, your role in the project, and the results achieved.

Use high-quality images: Make sure your project images are sharp, clear, and reflect your professionalism.

Update Regularly: Your portfolio needs to be updated regularly with the latest projects.

4. Compare Graphic Design Salaries With Other Industries
To get a more comprehensive view of graphic design salaries, we need to put it in context compared to other professions, both creative and technical.

4.1. Comparing Graphic Design Salaries to Other Creative Professions
Marketing: In the field of marketing, positions such as Digital Marketer, Marketing Executive, Marketing Manager, etc. have quite competitive salaries. The starting salary for a Digital Marketer can be equivalent to a newly graduated Graphic Designer, about 8-12 million VND. However, with experience and high professional skills, Marketing Managers can achieve a salary of 30-50 million VND or more, equivalent to Senior Graphic Designers.

Content Writing: Content Writer is a very hot profession today. The salary for a Content Writer can range from 7-15 million VND for a newbie, and increase to 20-30 million VND for those with experience and good writing skills. This salary is equivalent or can be slightly higher than that of a Graphic Designer with the same level of experience.

Photography: Photographers can earn money from many different sources, including event photography, product photography, portrait photography, etc. A photographer’s income depends largely on his or her ability to build a personal brand, find clients, and the quality of his or her work. A new photographer can earn around 5-10 million VND/month, while a professional photographer can earn 20-40 million VND/month or more. This salary can be equal to or higher than a Graphic Designer, especially if the photographer has a unique style and is well-known.

Video Editing: Video Editor is an important position in media and advertising companies. The salary for a Video Editor can range from 8-15 million VND for new entrants, and increase to 20-35 million VND for those with experience and good film editing skills. This salary is equivalent to that of a Graphic Designer at the same level of experience.

4.2. Compare Graphic Design Salaries with Technical Professions

Programmer: Programmer is one of the highest paying professions today. The starting salary for a new programmer can be from 12-20 million VND. With experience and high professional skills, Senior Developers can earn a salary of 40-70 million VND or more. This salary is significantly higher than that of a Graphic Designer.

Engineer: The salary of an engineer depends on the major (for example: civil engineer, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, etc.). The starting salary for a new engineer can be from 10-15 million VND. With experience and high professional skills, engineers can earn a salary of 25-40 million VND or more. This salary can be higher than Graphic Designer, especially for engineers with deep expertise and working in large companies.

In short, the salary of graphic design is not as “huge” as rumored when compared to some technical fields. However, it is still a potential industry with many job opportunities and the ability to bring good income if you are passionate, make efforts and constantly improve your skills. The important thing is that you need to understand the labor market, have a suitable development direction and build an impressive portfolio to compete in the industry.